March-April 2016 - Ohio Mennonite Conference

MAR/APR 2016
Central Mennonite hosts Annual Conference Assembly
INSIDE
THIS
ISSUE:
2 Editorial
Missional training
4 West Clinton
dress ministry
6 Working together
8 Volunteers
accept
assignments
10 About people
11 Hispanic
retreats bear
fruit
12 Back page
briefings
Delegates deal with membership
Questions of membership
took center stage at the
2016 Annual Conference
Assembly (ACA) of Ohio
Conference. Two hundred seventy-six people
attended ACA, including
210 delegates from 54
congregations. The annual gathering took place
March 11-12 at Central
Mennonite Church in
Archbold.
Delegates voted on two resolutions regarding membership, one dealing with the
Conference’s membership in
Erin Dye speaks during open mic time while other delegates
wait their turn to address the delegate body.
Mennonite Church USA, and
the other offering two separate types of membership in
Ohio Conference.
Based on the delegates’ voting, Ohio Conference will
remain part of Mennonite
Church USA, but individual
congregations will be able to
remain as members of Ohio
Conference even if they
choose to withdraw from the
denomination.
Continued on page 3
The power of congregational support
in a long, difficult journey
By Howard Nikkel
My particular journey began seven and a half years
ago when I was diagnosed
with congestive heart failure. The journey has included many visits to the
cardiologists, medications
to help the heart function
better, a procedure called
ultrafiltration done in a
Venezuelan hospital, an
implant that contained a
pacemaker, defibrillator
and a resynchronizer, and
ending up with an LVAD
(left ventricular assist device, or heart pump) installed in my heart. I am
currently on the list for a
heart transplant.*
The first six years were difficult in many ways. I was limited in the amount of activity
I could handle, plus the heart
failure was slowly increasing.
We had several friends in
Venezuela, which helped, but
we didn't have those who
Continued on page 7
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 2
EDITORIAL
Do I try to shush the Holy Spirit?
Sometimes it takes humor
to get my attention. This
year during worship at Annual Conference Assembly,
I found myself laughing
along with the rest of the
congregation as actors Eliot
and Seth Nofziger portrayed a man (Eliot) who,
VOL. LXX, NO. 2
MAR/APR 2016
Editor: Ann H. Leaman
Ohio Mennonite Evangel
(USPS 404-500) is published
six times per year by the
Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA, Box 210,
Kidron OH 44636,
telephone (330) 857-5421.
All material for publication
should be submitted to the
editor at 5854 Sunland St.
NE, Louisville OH 44641, or
via telephone:
(330) 453-0150, or email:
[email protected], one
month prior to desired publication date.
Ohio Mennonite Evangel is
distributed to all households
of Ohio Conference congregations, other interested
individuals and church agencies.
Ohio Mennonite Evangel is
printed at Carlisle Printing,
2673 TR 421 Sugarcreek OH
44681.
Send subscription information
and address changes to the
editor at 5854 Sunland St.
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Periodical postage paid at
Millersburg OH 44654.
while wanting to participate
in God’s work, also spends
much of his time trying to
reign in the actions of the
Holy Spirit (Seth), in case
they might come across to
others as too strange.
After the laughter, I had to
reflect: How much does
this resemble my own experience? Am I allowing the
Holy Spirit free reign in my
life, or am I more likely to
spend my time trying to get
the Holy Spirit to be quiet
and let me do things my
way?
— ahl
Missional training focuses on being sent
Immediately prior to Annual Conference Assembly, 89
individuals participated in a
training workshop March
10-11 led by Brad Brisco
and Lance Ford of Forge
Ministries. Those taking
part in “Becoming Missional: Re-Learning How to Be
Sent” had the opportunity
to grow in their knowledge
and passion for God’s mission right in their own
neighborhoods.
A DVD set of this training
session (with a total of four
DVDs) is being produced
for Ohio Conference. If
you would like to order the
DVD set, please contact
Judy King at the Ohio Conference office at
[email protected]
or 330-857-5421. 
“To catch
the
reader's
attention,
place an
interesting
sentence
or quote
from the
story
here.”
Presenter Brad Brisco talks to participants in the
“Becoming Missional” training session March 10-11 at
Central Mennonite Church. Photo by Kevin Kanagy.
Personnel of the Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA
Moderator: Bob Sauder — [email protected]
Assistant Moderator: Thomas Dunn — [email protected]
Transitional Conference Leader: George O’Reilly — [email protected]
Credentialing Ministry Chair: Naomi Engle — [email protected]
Gifts Discernment Ministry Chair: Mel Hathaway — [email protected]
Stewardship Minstry Chair: Melanie Miller — [email protected]
Regional Pastor: Ralph Reinford — [email protected]
Administrative Secretary: Judy King — [email protected]
Finance Coordinator: Stan Helmuth — [email protected]
Conference Editor: Ann Leaman — [email protected]
Coordinator of Volunteers: Alysa Short — [email protected]
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 3
ACA
Continued from page 1
MC USA MEMBERSHIP
Delegates did not approve a
resolution to consider withdrawal from Mennonite Church
USA. The resolution was stated
as follows: Ohio Conference
should undertake a process to
consider withdrawal from Mennonite Church USA. Seventy
percent of delegates (139) voted against the resolution, and
30 percent (58) voted for it.
Prior to the vote on the resolution about withdrawing from
Mennonite Church USA, the
Leadership Team had presented
a statement on remaining with
Mennonite Church USA, and
delegates had discussed the
statement. (The statement is on
the Ohio Conference website
on the “Assembly Documents”
page.) The statement includes
several conditions which would
cause the Leadership Team to
reevaluate whether to continue
the Conference’s membership
in the denomination.
The resolution to consider
withdrawing from Mennonite
Church USA was submitted to
the Resolutions Committee
from the delegate body. Initially
the Resolutions Committee
proposed taking a straw poll
about withdrawal from the de-
nomination, with suggested
action steps for the Ohio Conference Leadership Team to
follow based on results of the
straw poll. However, after consultation with the parliamentarian for ACA, Matt Hochstetler
of Oak Grove Mennonite
Church (Smithville), it was determined that a straw poll was
not an appropriate way to deal
with the issue, and the Leadership Team brought the question
to delegates in the form of a
resolution.
TWO TYPES
OF MEMBERSHIP
Delegates did approve another
membership resolution proposed by the Leadership Team.
The resolution calls for developing two types of membership
in Ohio Conference. Individual
congregations can be members
of Ohio Conference and Mennonite Church USA, or they
can be members of Ohio Conference only. Eighty percent of
ACA images (from upper left, clockwise):
Conference Administrative Assistant Judy King
takes time out for laughter; the Central Mennonite music team practices before the Friday
worship service; Seth and Eliot Nofziger present a drama about building on a good foundation; and delegates have the chance to visit
agency displays during break times. Photos by
Bryan Leaman. For more ACA photos, see
www.ohiomennoniteconferene.org or the
Ohio Conference Facebook page.
delegates (152) voted for the
resolution.
SPENDING PLAN
IS PARED DOWN
Ninety-seven percent of delegates also approved the Conference spending plan for 2016-17.
Total spending is projected to
be $325,723, a significant reduction from the amount budgeted
for 2015-16, which was
$526,170. The plan calls for a
reduction in staffing. Previously,
the Conference had up to 5.5
full time equivalent staff members. In 2016-17, the staff will
be 3.25 full time equivalents
plus a flat consulting fee for the
financial coordinator.
Another change for 2015-16 is
the level of giving to Mennonite
Church USA. In the past year
10 percent has been sent to
Mennonite Church USA. In the
Continued on page 5
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 4
West Clinton congregation sees value
in being blessed by a dress
and sometimes peoples’ homes.
This year she started with more
than 500 dresses to choose
from in all sizes. “Every girl deserves to look beautiful for her
prom!” Lori often says.
Girls look
through the
dresses available
at the “Beauty
Comes from the
Heart” event.
Dresses are
“sold” on a
donation-only
basis, and the
donations go to
charities.
By Pam Graber
Outreach ideas come in
many ways, but by far the
most successful come when
God does the nudging.
West Clinton’s “Prom
Trend: Beauty Comes from
the Heart” event is the result of one such nudge.
“If someone had told me five
years ago that I would be coordinating a prom dress event, I
would have told them they
were crazy,” said Lori King.
“But in 2013, God had another
plan. One night He whispered
to me to do an event on beauty
for young ladies. My reaction
was, ‘What? Me, God?! I have
three sons and never had to
buy things for a daughter! What
do I know about these things?”
Believing that she needed to
listen when God whispers ideas
to her, Lori stepped out in faith
and put together the first prom
dress event in less than a
month. The first year she started with fewer than 80 dresses,
and only 15 girls showed up for
the one-night event, taking 12
dresses. “I said if only one girl
showed up and took a dress
that it would be worth it,” Lori
said. The second year jewelry,
shoes, wraps and purses were
added to the event, and the
young ladies came from further
away. A total of 32 young ladies
attended with 22 dresses taken,
more than doubling the attendance from the first year and
nearly doubling the number of
dresses. In 2015, the third year
of the event, word really began
to spread through newspaper
and radio interviews and the
addition of social media.
Schools in the four-county area
put it on their morning announcements. A total of 80
young ladies viewed dresses,
taking a total of 93 dresses in
2015. So far in 2016, 104 young
ladies have looked at the dresses, and Lori will be opening up
again in early April.
In addition to opening up her
“dress boutique” for prom, Lori
has also opened up to girls who
are looking for homecoming
dance dresses. She collects
dresses throughout the year,
going to Goodwill, garage sales
Dresses are “sold” on a donation-only basis. “Last year a
young woman called me because of seeing a newspaper
article in her hometown paper
and asked about the event. She
and two other friends were
brought to the event by her
grandmother. All three young
ladies found beautiful dresses,
and the grandmother came to
me with tears in her eyes saying
that she was so thankful for this
event so that these young ladies
who do not have the money to
go buy new dresses can go to
the prom in style,” Lori said. “I
got a call from the young lady
the next morning saying, ‘We
are coming back because my
mom wants to give some money for the dress I picked out
yesterday.’ I told her that she
did not need to drive back over
30 miles to do this – that all the
items are free if you cannot
donate. The grandmother,
mother and daughter all came
back to give a donation, and the
girl found a short dress for
graduation also that day!”
Any donations given have gone
to charities. The first three
years The Dow Family Children’s Home in Kenya benefitted from the dress donations.
Lori picked them because her
son, Nic King, worked there
Continued on page 5
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 5
Dresses
Continued from page 4
during part of his YES experience with Eastern Mennonite
Missions. This year the money
was split between Children’s
Lantern (helping survivors of
human trafficking in NWO) in
Defiance, Ohio, and the inter-
ACA
“I feel that those who have
worked and experienced the
events have seen how God can
work through being blessed by
a dress,” Lori stated. “It’s the
smiles of the young ladies, parents, grandparents, boyfriends
and friends. It’s taking time to
listen to all those who come
because they all have a story.”

Creek Mennonite Church, Owl
Creek Mennonite Church, Dayspring Christian Fellowship,
Aurora Mennonite Church, and
Moorhead Mennonite Church.
In addition, Cornerstone Mennonite Fellowship closed at the
end of 2015.
— Heard Randy Carr of Beaverdam Mennonite Church and
Alex Dye and Dick Barrett of
Oak Grove Mennonite Church
in West Liberty report about
two ministries which received
grants from the Ministry Development Team during 2015-16;
The Annual Conference Assembly also included two worship
services focused on the theme
“Holy Ground: Founded on
Faith, Flourishing in Christ.”
The worship services included
sermons by Transitional Conference Leader George O’Reilly
and Regional Pastor Ralph Reinford, as well as dramas by Eliot
and Seth Nofziger and music led
by music teams from Central
Mennonite and Tedrow Mennonite.
— Heard about the Ohio Conference Year of Mission, which
is taking place in 2016-17, from
Ministry Development Team
members Jacob Dodson, Kevin
Kanagy and Jason Rissler;
national mission Growing Hope
in Haiti.
Continued from page 3
coming year, Mennonite
Church USA is to receive 5
percent of funds given from
congregations which are part of
Mennonite Church USA. Those
congregations which choose
not to be part of Mennonite
Church USA will not have any
of their funds sent to the denomination.
YEAR OF COVENANT
Delegates also discussed the
Leadership Team’s proposal to
enter into a One-Year Covenant for Ohio Conference Congregations, Pastors, Conference
Leaders and Staff. Many delegates commented favorably
about the covenant during open
mic time, and congregations are
being invited to sign the covenant. A copy of the covenant is
on the Ohio Conference website.
RELEASE
OF CONGREGATIONS
Transitional Conference Leader
George O’Reilly and Regional
Pastor Ralph Reinford led the
delegates in a litany of lament
and blessing for congregations
which have chosen to leave the
Ohio Conference. Those congregations are Longenecker
Mennonite Church, Grace
Community Church, Martins
In other business, the delegates:
— Heard from Terry Shue of
Mennonite Church USA and Jim
Frado of Everence about a grant
from the Lily Endowment which
will fund financial education
events for pastors as well as
providing grants for pastors in
financial need;
— Approved the minutes of the
2015 ACA;
— Heard a report about the
work of the Ministry Development Team from Assistant
Moderator Thomas Dunn;
— Were introduced to pastors
with new assignments in the
Ohio Conference;
— Heard a report from Credentialing Ministry Chair Naomi
Engle;
— Affirmed the personnel slate
presented by the Gifts Discernment Ministry (see pages 8-10
for more information) and had
a prayer of blessing for incoming Moderator Bob Sauder;
— Heard a report from Ohio
Conference Resource Advocate
Lois Bontrager about resources
available from Mennonite
Church USA agencies;
— Celebrated communion. 
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 6
TRANSITIONAL THOUGHTS
Working together as a body
By George O’Reilly
Transitional Conference Leader
As I write this, many of us
have just returned from
several days of working together as Ohio Conference
on our mission and trajectory for the next year certainly, and on into the foreseeable future.
“We spoke
openly, we
listened
respectfully, we
discussed,
sometimes
enthusiastically,
but in the end
we came to a
fairly high level
of agreement
about where we
will go next.
Was it perfect?
No, nor shall it
ever be in this
age.”
We began with a special Missional presentation from Forge
Network titled “Becoming Missional: Re-Learning How to Be
Sent.” This series of addresses
was designed to re-focus our
attention on community-based
outreach as God’s people. Attendees seemed much energized by these presentations.
We then turned our attention
to discussing and discerning
how our combined life as Ohio
Conference will take shape in
the next stage of our work together.
I must admit this was fairly tiring work for me, as I know it
was for numerous others. We
might prefer that such decisions
would simply “fall quickly into
place” with some ease, since we
are, after all, God’s people united by the Spirit.
Ephesians 4 speaks strongly on
the unity we have by the act of
God through the Spirit. But
this passage also speaks about
the working together of every
different element of the body.
“But speaking the truth in love,
we must grow up in every way
into him who is the head, into
Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and knit together
by every ligament with which it
is equipped, as each part is
working properly, promotes
the body's growth in building
itself up in love.” — Ephesians
4:15-16
Such work in a physical human
body is very demanding and
tiring. Muscles tire, joints ache,
and ligaments feel overly
stretched. Engaging in such
physical training builds the coordinated strength of the entire
person, preparing that person
to face new physical challenges.
In Christ’s body, this work too
is designed to prepare the body
unified by the Spirit for new
perplexities and challenges. The
scripture passage says that once
we grow into more maturity
we will “no longer be infants,
tossed back and forth by the
waves, and blown here and
there by every wind of teaching ....” — Ephesians 4:14
This exercise toward stability in
faith and wisdom in discernment is gained as the body
brings all its resources together,
engaging the gifts and strengths
of each member, balancing the
energy and efforts of each muscle and joint, heeding the function of every part. By so doing,
just as a physical body can
achieve balance and coordination, the spiritual body of
Christ, the Church, can find
balance in the oft-times disorienting pressures of our daily life
together.
I experienced this truth at the
Ohio Conference Annual Conference Assembly this year.
We spoke openly, we listened
respectfully, we discussed,
sometimes enthusiastically, but
in the end we came to a fairly
high level of agreement about
where we will go next. Was it
perfect? No, nor shall it ever be
in this age. The constant need
for further strengthening remains. But we moved away
from tossing about to setting
our direction in hopes of maturing and growing in Christ
together.
I am ready for a day or two off,
actually. But the expenditure of
energy was fulfilling and worthwhile. I am very thankful that
this effort was not that of just a
few, but of the many persons
from across Ohio Conference
who came together committed
to engaging in this work of the
Body together.
So I hope that even if you too
are tired, you feel the satisfaction of having tested our combined strength and having found
Continued on page 7
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 7
Congregational support
would seriously walk by our
side during this time. By the
time we arrived in the United
States, I was hospitalized almost
immediately. I had very swollen
legs, very little stamina (even
going up a flight of 12 stairs was
difficult), and not much of an
appetite. In short, you could
say I was in a bad way.
It was at this point that we began to receive the spiritual and
emotional support that we
didn't have in Venezuela. We
made the choice to attend Oak
Grove Mennonite Church in
Smithville and are currently
seeking membership. At Oak
Grove, the first Sunday we
were made to feel welcome.
One couple in particular made
it a point to greet us, introduce
themselves, and make sure we
knew where they lived and that
they were neighbors.
While I was in the hospital
(over 10 weeks between June
22 and Oct. 16, 2014), I received several visits from Oak
Grove people, making the trip
to Columbus to see me. I was
on the Oak Grove prayer list,
and I was assured over and
over that people were praying
for me, both while in the hospital and continuing to this day.
We received gifts of food after
our return in October, as well
as offers to help us with anything we needed to have done
around the house or yard. This
support in prayer, fellowship
and assistance is still ongoing.
In addition to the congregation’s support, we have received a lot of support from an
accountability group that we
asked to walk with us more
directly. I gave them five areas
where I would need encouragement and growth in my life preparing to receive someone
else's heart. I gave them permission to “meddle in my life.” This
group has been a blessing that is
hard to describe in terms of
holding me accountable, giving
me direction, and stretching me
to grow outside of myself. They
have given me assignments for
the next meeting. For example,
I have in the past composed
some songs, so one assignment
was, “Write a song.” Trusting in
God's inspiration, I did. They
suggested I write my journey in
a book form, which I am in the
process of doing. One observation they made was that I
should get out of the house and
do things with people, so I volunteered to work with MCC
Connections in Kidron, and my
wife and I are available as substitute teachers at Wooster
Christian School. Writing this
article to share how Oak Grove
has helped us in a major journey was my latest assignment.
Not everyone has a journey like
mine, but in every congregation
there are many who need people to walk with them in their
needs. What can a congregation
do? First, pray diligently for
Transitional thoughts
it sufficient for the task of those
several days.
Continued from page 1
them. Ask the Lord to show
specific ways to pray that go
beyond human understanding to
know.
Second, when they are in
church, show yourself friendly
in greeting them, taking time to
ask how it is going, and in general let them know that you
care for them. Depending on
the need, extend offers of work
around the house or transportation to appointments to show
you care.
Third, consider forming a group
to walk with them just as our
group has walked with us. Such
a labor requires a commitment
to be there when needed, to
prayerfully consider what they
need and how you can “give
assignments,” so to speak, that
will help them move forward
toward the goal of a close relationship with Jesus that will
carry them through many a
tough moment.
*On Feb. 20, Howard received a
new heart and is recovering well.
The journey is by no means over,
but a great milestone has been
reached, and the congregation,
along with his support group, rejoices with this new lease on life
for Howard.
Howard served for many years as
a missionary in Mexico, Colombia
and Venezuela. He and his wife,
Ellen, returned to the United
States about two years ago. 
Continued from page 6
May we always treasure the
work of the body, growing itself
up in love as each part does its
work! 
“We have
received a lot
of support from
an
accountability
group that we
asked to walk
with us more
directly. I gave
them five areas
where I would
need
encouragement
and growth in
my life
preparing to
receive
someone else's
heart.”
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 8
Volunteers accept Conference positions
Members of Ohio Conference
congregations who volunteer
their time play a vital role in
Conference life. Without the
help of numerous volunteers,
many of the programs and functions of the Ohio Conference
could not take place.
Much of the work of Ohio
Conference is done by the
Leadership Team, the Ministry
Development Team, the Credentialing Ministry, the Stewardship Ministry and the Gifts
Discernment Ministry. Delegates at Annual Conference
Assembly affirmed the following
individuals for service:
Moderator
Name: Robert Sauder (Bob)
Home Congregation:
Salem
(Waldron,
Mich.)
Occupation:
Retired high
school teacher (30 years,
Spanish, Math, guidance counselor, basketball/track coach, athletic director), currently selfemployed carpenter/owner
Retired Handyman Construction
Previous Service: Church
council, Sunday school teacher,
church chair, elder, conference
delegate
Family Information: Two
adult daughters, Mary Sauder
and Kelly Sauder-Neff, six wonderful grandsons and one unspoiled granddaughter
Goals: The Ohio Conference
can continue to be an institution in which we can all grow as
Christians, a place where we
can worship and praise and
learn together as we share
God’s love to those around us.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Reading, woodworking, spending time with the grandkids,
construction supervisor for
Fulton County Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at Sauder
Village
Gifts Discernment Ministry
— Chair
Name: Mel
Hathaway
Home Congregation:
Sonnenberg
Mennonite
Occupation:
Pastor
Previous
Service: Gifts Discernment
Ministry chair and member,
Resolutions Committee
Family Information: Wife Dottie Hathaway
Goals: Working with the Gifts
Discernment Ministry Team and
Conference Leadership Team
to call forth the many gifts and
abilities God has blessed us
with, to strengthen the Conference and to build God's Kingdom.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Reading, yard work and home
improvement projects
Stewardship Ministry —
Chair
Name:
Melanie G.
Miller
Home
Congregation: Maple
Grove
(Hartville)
Occupation: CTP, treasury analyst/
accountant
Previous Service: Ohio Conference Stewardship Ministry,
Indiana/Michigan Mennonite
Women Treasurer
Family Information: I have
been married to Rod Miller,
pastor at Maple Grove, for
nearly nine years, and we have
two children, Cadence (6) and
Keilana (3), as well as two cats,
and a goldfish.
Goals: The desire of my heart
has been to use my talents and
interests in serving God. My
goal for this term of service is
to use my gifts and talents to
assist in the oversight of Ohio
Conference's finances, so that
Ohio Conference can do the
work that God is calling us to
do.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
One of my hobbies is geocaching with my husband and kids. I
also love spending time with
friends by being real and sharing
life and laughter together.
Ministry Development
Team — Faith Focus
Name: Kenneth S. Sims (Ken)
Home Congregation:
Sharon Mennonite Church
(2007present) and
Lee Heights
Community
Church (1961
-2007)
Occupation: Financial services
representative at Everence Financial Services, Plain City,
Ohio
Previous Service: Served
several times as elder at Lee
Heights and currently completing final year of service as lead
elder at Sharon Mennonite
Church
Family Information: Married
to Grace (Hostetler) Sims for
46 years; three adult children;
seven grandchildren
Continued on page 9
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 9
Volunteers
Continued from page 8
Goals: To serve the greater
church in areas of faith building
and to learn from the faith experiences of others.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Detailing custom, classic and
exotic cars; auto endurance
racing fan; historical reading
Stewardship Ministry —
Endowment Focus
Name: Matthew R.
Hochstetler
Home Congregation:
Oak Grove
(Smithville)
Occupation:
Attorney at
Day Ketterer
Ltd.
Previous Service: Member of
Ohio Conference Stewardship
Ministry for preceding two
years; former church board
member
Family Information: Wife,
Megan: daughter, Greta
Goals: Effective, faithful management of Ohio Conference’s
finances
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Playing with my daughter, cycling, reading, talking with interesting people
Credentialing Ministry
Name: Miriam Zehr
Home
Congregation:
Oak Grove
(Smithville)
Occupation: Associate
Pastor of
Oak Grove Mennonite Church
Previous Service: Have been
pastoring part time for more
than 20 years. Served on Nurture Commission of the Indiana-Michigan (IN-MI) Confer-
ence and on a Youth Task
Force. Also served on the INMI Mennonite Women Planning
Committee
Family Information: Husband, Doug, who is lead pastor
at Oak Grove Mennonite; three
adult daughters; two sons-in
law; and two grandchildren
Goals: I have been licensed and
ordained since coming to Ohio
Conference seven years
ago. The process is still quite
fresh in my mind. I am looking
forward to contributing to what
I have personally benefitted
from and encouraging healthy
pastoral leadership within the
Conference.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Reading, walking, baking with
yeast, travel, spending time with
grandchildren
Credentialing Ministry
Name: Vickie Dee Yoder
(Vick)
Home Congregation:
Sharon
Occupation:
Ordained
minister,
board certified chaplain,
therapy dog handler. I presently
serve as a staff chaplain at Ohio
Health in Columbus, Ohio. I
often enjoy visiting with Shadow, a certified therapy dog. We
visit schools, senior living centers, nursing homes and hospitals.
Previous Service: Member of
Ohio Conference Gifts Discernment Committee, vicechairperson for Ohio Mennonite Women (OMW), president
of the Chaplains Association of
Ohio, worked with Mennonite
Health Services Planning Committee and gave several work-
shops nationwide. Vickie also
was a guest speaker for OMW,
speaking on the importance of
“Being Real,” and served as
worship leader for a Women's
Retreat at Camp Luz.
Family Information: Husband Bob, a retired pastor; two
adult daughters, Mary (Jason)
Sims and and Bobbi (Jason)
Watkins; seven grandchildren
Goals: My goal for this term of
service would be to serve with
integrity, accountability and joy.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Pastoral counseling, therapy dog
handler, and certified bereavement coach. I also enjoy flowers, crafts, playing the Native
American flute, drumming, and
silence.
Credentialing Ministry
Name: LaVonne Hartman
Home
Congregation: Pike
Occupation: Business – Auntie Anne’s/
Cinnabon
Previous
Service: Conference Council,
Executive Committee Secretary, Assistant Moderator,
Leadership Team, member of
Credentialing Ministry, Ohio
Conference representative to
Bluffton University Board of
Trustees
Family Information: Husband – Bill
Goals: Serving God, Conference and the church
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Traveling, sightseeing, hiking,
bird-watching, visiting with
friends
Continued on page 10
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 10
Volunteers
Continued from page 9
Gifts Discernment Ministry
Name: Linda Short
Home Congregation:
Zion
Occupation:
Interim pastor
at Lima Mennonite
Church, Lima,
Ohio, since
September 2015
Previous Service: Interim
Pastor at Toledo Mennonite
Church, Toledo, Ohio, January
– April 2015
Family Information: Husband, LaVon Short; three
grown sons; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild
Goals: To support Ohio Conference as we discern how best
to serve the churches within
Ohio Conference and by seeking to discern and empower
spiritual gifts at the conference
level.
Hobbies/Special Interests:
Reading, travel, spending time
with family
Gifts Discernment Ministry
Name: Alan Kauffman
Home Congregation: Oak
Grove (West
Liberty)
Occupation:
Farm consultant
Previous
Service:
Member of
Gifts Discernment Ministry,
member of Ministry Development Team
Gifts Discernment Ministry
Name: Nathan Beachy
Home Congregation: Lee
Heights
Occupation: Physician
Gifts Discernment Ministry
Name: Rick Stoner
Home Congregation: Sharon
Occupation: Pastor
Gifts Discernment Ministry
Name: Stefanie Hathaway
Home Congregation: Toledo
Occupation: Psychologist

ABOUT PEOPLE
Bluffton University
Emily Short
’19, a biblical
and theological studies
major from
Archbold,
Ohio, talks at
Bluffton University about
her fall 2015
cross-cultural
experience in
Guatemala.
experience taught me what it’s
like to be an outsider.”
Karcher was one of 12 Bluffton
University students who spent
the fall 2015 semester on crosscultural trips, either abroad or
in Washington, D.C. During
February, they talked about
their experiences in a presentation for the campus community.
BLUFFTON, Ohio — Bluffton
University’s cross-cultural experience allows students to experience a new place, to learn a
new culture and the freedom to
explore independently. But
Karl Karcher, an information
technology major from Ada,
Ohio, summed up the true value of a cross-cultural experience in one sentence. “The
Seven of those students spent
last semester in Guatemala,
including Emily Short, a biblical
and theological studies major
from Archbold, Ohio. She is a
member of West Clinton Mennonite Church.
The group spent the first 10
weeks in the capital, Guatemala
City, taking Spanish and Latin
American history classes at the
Central America Study and Service program which is affiliated
with the Guatemalan Mennonite Church.
During their stay, the participants lived with host families.
They took Spanish class for four
hours each morning. In the
afternoon they took classes
such as Violence, Justice and
Peace and Global Studies.
The Central American country
has a population of more than
15 million people and is still
recovering from 36 years of
civil war known as La Violencia
(The Violence). Peace Accords
were signed in 1996; however,
the country remains unstable in
many ways. While the students
Continued on page 11
Mar/Apr 2016 | Page 11
ABOUT PEOPLE
Continued from page 10
were there, peaceful protests
forced the president to step
down and elections for his successor took place.
States, Short instantly wondered if she could still go to
class. Her host mom simple
stated, “Oh yeah, it’s fine.”
Short said she woke up to her
host mom listening to the radio.
“And she said, ‘the president
left last night.’” Since that’s
unimaginable in the United
For the final month, the students ventured into separate
community learning field assignments. The students were
matched with organizations that
reflected their majors and interests.
Bluffton students may meet a
cross-cultural requirement either through a semester program or a short-term experience in the spring, or by taking
at least six credit hours of a
foreign language. 
Pastoral notes
Regina Wenger was licensed for
ministry and installed as a member of the pastoral team at
Central Mennonite Church in
Archbold on Jan. 3.
Pastor Sue Conrad Howes,
Regina’ mentor, preached the
sermon, which was titled “God
Has Done Great Things!” Charlotte Wenger, Regina’s sister,
read the scriptures, which included 1 John 1:1-7 and Psalm
126. Transitional Conference
Leader George O’Reilly led the
licensing and installation ceremony.
A native of Waynesboro, Pa.,
Regina is a graduate of Hesston
College, Eastern Mennonite
University and Duke Divinity
School. 
Regina Wenger was
licensed for ministry and installed as
a pastoral team
member at Central
Mennonite Jan. 3.
Pictured are (left to
right) Nancy
Roynon, chair of
Central Mennonite’s board; Transitional Conference
Leader George
O’Reilly; Regina
Wenger; and Sue
Conrad Howes.
Hispanic retreats bear fruit
By Raul Tadeo
Hispanic family retreats are
held at Camp Luz each year.
These retreats have been held
for 12 years by several Spanishspeaking Mennonite churches
and outreaches in Ohio. This
past year again as the Word
was preached and an invitation
was given, God’s spirit moved
men, women and youth who
made first-time commitments
or renewals of their commitment to be faithful disciples of
Jesus.
On Aug. 9, 2015, Iglesia Cristiana Hispana of Hilliard, Ohio, a
participating church in our Hispanic Retreats, baptized nine
persons, including two couples.
Many of these commitments
are the result of the work of
the Holy Spirit in the Hispanic
Retreat held at Camp Luz. 
David Villalta, pastor
of Iglesia Cristiana
Hispana of Hilliard,
Ohio, pictured at
right, stands in the
water with a group
of individuals from
the congregation
who were baptized.
The Iglesia Cristiana
Hispana congregation is one of the
groups which participates in the Hispanic family retreats at
Camp Luz.
Conference Calendar
APRIL
7 Faith and Values in the Marketplace Workshop, Kidron Park Community Building
8-10 Men’s Retreat, Camp Luz, Kidron
9 Spring Day of Inspiration, Ohio Mennonite Women, Crown Hill Mennonite,
Rittman
16 MCC Peace Gathering, Kidron Mennonite Church
29-30 Father-Son Retreat, Camp Luz, Kidron
MAY
2 Couples in Ministry Retreat Day, Camp Luz, Kidron
JUNE
4 Family Fun Day, Camp Luz, Kidron
AUG
12-14 Girls’ Jamboree, Camp Luz, Kidron
SEPT
16-18 Women’s Retreat, Camp Luz, Kidron
NOV
11-13 Retreat for Pastors’ Wives, St. Francis Spirituality Center, Tiffin
Back page briefings...
For more Ohio Conference
news, visit the Ohio
Conference website:
ohiomennoniteconference.org
Lois Bontrager is the
new Ohio Conference
Resource Advocate. The
role of the Resource Advocate is to be aware of the
latest resources from the
various Mennonite Church
USA groups and to find
creative ways to make
these resources useful to
congregations. Resource
Advocates from confer-
ences across Mennonite
Church USA held their
annual gathering Feb. 5-7
and met with representatives from Mennonite
Church USA agencies.
If you have questions about
what resources are available from Mennonite
Church USA agencies,
please contact Lois at
[email protected].
Choice Books is seeking
a chief executive officer.
Choice Books, LLC is a
faith-based organization
that distributes more than
5 million inspirational
books annually to retailers
in the secular marketplace.
The current CEO is retiring
in 2016 after 22 years of
service. The successful candidate will have a passion
for Christian ministry,
strong servant-leadership
skills, and solid business/
management experience.
Skills/Qualifications: Business degree or equivalent;
willingness to lead in a
complex, competitive, and
rapidly changing environment; understanding of
accounting systems, computer systems, and financial
management systems; and
ability to work with a board
of directors and to engage
a broad and diverse group
of distributor organizations.
Experience in retail/
wholesale operations is
preferred. Strong communication skills are required.
The successful candidate
will be innovative and visionary, bringing new ideas
and strategies. The position
is located in the Harrisonburg, Va., office and will
begin May-June 2016. Please
send resume with cover
letter to
[email protected]. 